Adult Children
by Robina Snyder
Summary: Castiel's father is incredibly proud of him when he allows himself to die so that Winchesters might have a chance to stop the Apocalypse before it can happen.


Chuck hadn't planned to get involved. For this he planned only to observe. He could end it all with the wave of his hand, in fact it took more energy to not act in such a manner than it took to act. He could raise floods again, or erase it all and start again. Billions of years meant nothing to him at all. But how he felt wasn't the point. It was never the point. The point was the college kid coming from their first semester of college and having coffee for the first time with their dad. Never equal, but closer than they would have ever been before.

Loneliness was not eased by love that came from people who did not have the option to not love you. And it didn't hurt any less for him than it did for any human when someone they loved turned from them, or chose someone else over him. And he felt it every day when they turned away.

But this wasn't his fight, it was theirs. They all made their choices. He could see every possible option and he knew every possible outcome. For now he was just a lowly prophet, revealing the path that the players in the final act would take.

He saw Castiel and Dean coming to find out where Sam was before he saw that this wasn't supposed to happen. But he was a good actor, so it hardly mattered. It wasn't really possible to surprise him, not really. You couldn't blind side him. Lucifer's fall had hurt like a surprise only because he had ignored the possibility that Lucifer would be the one to take the fall. Trying to save Michael and Raphael from themselves, the pair who had the greatest likelihood to fall, had taken up his time and energy. He knew Lucifer was a possibility, but his own willfulness kept him from seeing it happen before it did.

He didn't get surprised.

So Castiel's actions didn't surprise him. He could see what Castiel could become, the journey he could take. Castiel was an angel after his own heart. Casiel would fail, and hugely because his powers would allow him to cause more destruction from the same amount of confusion and misguided hope than any human could. But Castiel would try, and Castiel would not turn away. Lucifer would have been so angry if he could see what Castiel would do, and that Chuck would not cast Castiel out. But Lucifer would not understand that Castiel would make terrible mistakes, but his love was not Lucifer's prideful love. It was small and pure.

The demon Crowley would make a better King of Hell than Lucifer ever would, because he had been human, and he had been weak and he had suffered because of his weakness. He would be innovative and refuse to follow a plan.

Castiel would be the same, but virtuous. He would not rule heaven, but he did have a purpose. He was a symbol. He loved humanity, he could love humans individually. He would chose his actions and accept that he had chosen them and accept the consequences of those actions.

Because, what Chuck loved the most wasn't a perfect son. It was the son that tried and failed and failed and failed, but who did return, and was humble when he did so. Castiel was the Prodigal's son. Castiel was David. And Chuck would not interfere with Castiel's development.

But would interfere a little bit. Archangels were heaven's deadliest, greatest weapon, after all. And Castiel was standing next to Chuck, willing to die for a chance to stop the plan, to save one man. Castiel thought in broadness and yet of individuals. It was what Chuck wanted all along, and it came up in a son whom he'd never spoken to directly.

Chuck raised his arm and gripped Castiel's should tight. Chuck was so proud of him. His heart swelled so much, and he loved Castiel greatly in that moment. He thought of sons whose fathers taught them catch and whether the boys failed or succeeded their fathers told them that they were proud. Chuck could not, not without altering everything. But he wanted to so much. Castiel deserved it. He was terrified, but accepting of his fate, a fate he chose. He didn't know yet that he would survive past this.

But Castiel did not know who gripped his shoulder and looked at Chuck like he was just a small, weak human for whom he had no affection. He was not a Winchester. Chuck wasn't who he was dying for. Castiel saw the touch as patronizing. Shy Chuck let his hand drop.

Chuck would get involved not once, but twice, because he wanted Castiel to live. He liked the opportunities Castiel brought more than he liked the outcome of the original plan. But nothing more. This wasn't his fight. It wasn't about his wants. It was about a cup of coffee was would have waiting for his children when they finally became adults.

* * *

**A/N: Sort of a spiritual sequel to "Questions". I wanted to do a piece where Castiel is explained to be the King David of Angels, which is actually my headcanon for the show. I think it makes a lot of sense anyway. But I really wrote this with the idea of how sad it was that Castiel was about to go crazy looking for his father, and his father had been right there next to him when he died, and that his father had gripped his shoulder and been so very proud of him and Castiel would never realize it. **


End file.
